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Praetorium Honoris

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

A Quickie

Carnival!
Sunday night The WSO and the senior and junior granddaughters flew into T.F. Green, our friendly local air patch. Much joy and hilarity ensued. Your Humble Correspondent got to hit the rack far later than is his wont.

But hey, I don't get to see them all that often so going to bed in the wee sma' hours of the morning is worth it. The house lions, as Beans calls 'em, didn't get the night ops memo so they arose at their usual hour and were rather piqued that their human was not up and about and tending to their gustatory needs.

Once they had seen the menu and were satisfied with their repast, I went back to bed. Yes, I felt somewhat guilty. Felt worse when the senior granddaughter chastised me for "laying around in bed all day." Geez, I got up at 0900 fer cryin' out loud, ain't no pleasing some folks.

Anyhoo, later in the day it was off to the carnival which arrives every year in these environs for to celebrate our Independence (and fleece the locals of their hard earned scratch). But first decks had to be swabbed...

This isn't funny Grandpa!
Korean food was consumed, baths were taken, and off to ride the rides we went (well, I just watch - those rides bloody scare me). But a good time was had by all, especially by the senior granddaughter...


The kid is fearless, betcha can't guess that Mom and Dad fly fighters. (Grandpa just maintains 'em, or used to...)

One last thing, The WSO surprised me with a late birthday/Father's Day present. We're going to go see these guys up at Fenway later this month...


Yup, loves me some Foo Fighters.

As the kids are in town for a few weeks, expect heavy doses of Beans, Tuna, and Juvat. I may even coax LUSH into posting.

Ya never know.



48 comments:

  1. First year after starting work for Uncle Sam the neighborhood that our office was in had a carnival appear. After work a friend and I decided to try out the roller coaster. a decision not fueled by any beverages I'm sad to say. While scooting around the track and being thrown side to side I started to wonder just what sort of safety inspections were done on rides that get thrown together and taken down so often? Ride over and none the worse for wear though but no more rides that evening or ever again on similar.....neighborhood "entertainment". I read where the Eagles just played in town, top price was $495.00....sheeesh!. Looks like a good time was had by all there Sarge.

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    1. We had a marvelous time, the youngest was with us in the early part of the afternoon, very few rides a 2YO standing 35" tall can ride on. But there were a few and she had a good time until they changed the attendant on the "tea cup" ride. Seems he was enforcing the 36" rule, much to L'il Sweetie's chagrin. We had to bribe her away from the carnival with ice cream.

      When logic and reason fail (as they often do with 2YOs) bribe 'em.

      Yes, concert tickets are a bit pricey.

      Delete
  2. My dad, crack fighter pilot he was until his eyes grounded him, grrrr, could do all things fast and violent. Except... The... Merry-go-Round. Yes, the common go around and around and up and down would make him puke quicker than a brand new ensign on his/her first destroyer in winter on the North Atlantic after eating greasy eggs and while hung over.

    The wuss.

    Of course, for me, anything less un-sedate than the Merry-go-Round will invoke the inner-child in me. The Screaming, Terrified, OH-My-God-We're-Going-to-Die fear of a 3 year old little girl. Really. Rode the Rocking Roll Rollercoaster at MGM and when I got off the lady in the rear of the car-train told her 6 year old that the crying man would be okay. The ride attendants were watching film of my virtuoso performance as 'The Screaming, Crying, Weenie in the Front of the Ride.' Shame fell upon my house that day...

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    1. There's something about high places which just freak me out, unless I'm in an aircraft. Then I can be flung about the sky with wild abandon and bellow for more.

      Put me on a Ferris wheel and I'm cryin' for mama.

      Not sure what that means...

      Delete
    2. On a horse, I am great. On a 2-step ladder I am a weak man being led to my execution. Glass elevators are a no-go for me, and those exposed balconies on hotels are not good. Ferris Wheels? They are derived from Catherine's Wheels, at least to me (look it up, but be careful, queasiness will ensue.)

      But closed cockpit planes. I'll fall asleep in the back seat while normal flight and enjoy a good dive or loop. Haven't tried open cockpit planes.

      Having a 'quirky' inner ear and vertigo are not good, not good at all. Climbing the lines on a tall ship, a childhood dream, right out. Mountain climbing? Nooooope. Flying a plane? Most likely a washout.

      Sitting in an air-conditioned bunker 40' underground with a wall of switches to flick and buttons to push and bazillion tons of nuclear mega-death? Oh, Yeaaahhhhh. Inside, away from pollen and most molds and mildews and the Glowing Orb of Pain, yeah... Not as glamourous as dying in the Fulda Gap in an Abrams, but... Air Conditioning. No Sun. Yay. (they wouldn't take me, the bastards.)

      Delete
    3. And it's like you evolved to fill that specific task!

      Damn shoe clerks!

      Delete
  3. I love the big coasters, won’t go near those traveling carnival 🎡 rides.
    Most fun ever was taking my son on the Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland back when he was just tall enough to ride it.
    He turned the most amazing shade of green.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. We went to an amusement park in Korea which had some amazing rides.

      Had much fun watching folks stagger off some of the rides then decorate the nearby bushes with their breakfast/lunch/dinner.

      That says more about me than it does about them I suppose...

      Delete
    2. "Puke and Rally!" rides are always fun to watch. Outside of the splash zone.

      And so are blood drives. Watching big, tough cops and firefighters pass out or run shrieking from the room, muhahahahahahahaha. . .

      Delete
    3. Inoculation day in Basic Training was entertaining.

      Amazing how some big guys freak at the thought of a needle.

      Delete
    4. Thunder Mountain! The *only* roller coaster I'll get on.....

      Delete
  4. My sons loved the Puyallup (Western Washington) Fair "Wrist Band" day. For one fee they got unlimited rides on all the rides. This allowed their father to do a quality control check on the food vendors. First stop, hamburger topped with Walla Walla Sweet onions. Good times!

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    1. Daughter and oldest granddaughter got the wristbands, had their money's worth within the first hour.

      Well worth it.

      Delete
  5. "I may even coax LUSH into posting."

    You will pardon me for saying seeing is believing.

    Thanks for the post.
    Paul L. Quandt

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    1. Oh dear, please don't anyone hold your breath waiting for that event.

      Like Paul said, believe it when (if) you see it.

      Delete
    2. Can you invoke 'Family Honor'? She's half Korean, and Koreans are big on 'Family Honor', right? Or, 'Tough Naval A-Vi-A-Tor' (said in a Lou Gossett imitation voice) pride. She's still got her pride, right?

      I mean, if Beans can do it... Oh, man, now I'm insulting me. Danged it... (hold head down sheepishly, walks away scuffing his feet...)

      Delete
    3. I'll give it a shot, but she is made of very stern stuff.

      Delete
    4. Have her mom tell her to do it.

      :)

      Delete
    5. Oooo...the dreaded "Mom guilt"...naaa, wont work on her now she is an adult with her own kiddos...

      Nice try tho'

      Delete
    6. Tell her it would be a good break from watching all the children, small and big...

      Delete
  6. Enjoy the time with your family. We ( or at least I ) will still be hanging around here after they leave.

    Paul

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm gonna try and post at least a word or two everyday.

      Beans has an amazing post for Thursday, I think you'll like it.

      Delete
    2. "I'm gonna try and post at least a word or two everyday."

      What word/s? Hi and hi there?

      PLQ

      Delete
  7. So, the first roller coaster I rode on was a small one probably 10' above the surface at its peak. I was 5 and petrified. Course, it was also on the top of a very high building in the San Francisco area and positioned so that one corner of it made it look like you were out over the street. Never liked carnival roller coasters since.

    Never had a problem in the jet though, maybe it was better restraints and the reassurance of the ejection handles. I don't know.

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    1. I believe you were at the Emporium on Market Street, one of my favorite places to go as a small child.
      The other was Playland at the Beach, which has since been replaced by apartments.

      Delete
    2. Juvat - Coasters no, aircraft doing aerobatics, no problem.

      The five point harness and the reassuring feel of a parachute pack under me helped. A lot.

      Delete
    3. Skip - Sadness, amusement parks replaced by apartments.

      Delete
    4. Skip, now that you mentioned the name, it WAS the Emporium. Thanks.

      Delete
    5. Heh, Teh Google ain't got nuthin' on The Chant when it comes to providing information.

      Delete
    6. Juvat, really? I knew a B-58 Hustler pilot who would get green on elevators, regular enclosed box elevators. Would not get anywhere near a glass elevator. Something about not being in control of said elevator.

      Already talked above about my dad's fear of the evil Merry-go-Round. Us kids were allowed, of course. But we were absolutely not allowed to actually parachute out of planes 'for fun.' That was only, according to him, okay if there was absolutely no way to save the craft before it crashed. And even then we'd better have a damned good excuse.

      Delete
  8. Have fun, Sarge, and Happy Independence Day.

    Is that step-stool, or some piece of fancy exercise gear there in the corner?

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Fancy exercise gear, not mine.

      Happy Independence Day indeed!

      Delete
    2. Yay, the right and correct name for the upcoming day of jubilee!

      I am getting positively curmudgeonly in my middle-old age.

      (Hey, you kids, get off my sidewalk... Hmmm, doesn't have the same panache of 'Get off my lawn.')

      Delete
  9. I am not a fan of Merry Go Rounds either, since I had a bad experience when I was very very young (3ish maybe?) and the reason I married tall guys and have a tall son is so I never have to climb a step ladder. Ever!!! (Of course, who was on top of the motor home 2 weekends ago...me...near the center!!! Sternly talking to myself...you are an adult, you can do this, you know he can't do this, quit whining and get it done, the worst day of your life was yesterday...you really want to go camping and this hole wont seal itself...if you don't do this, you will sleep wet!! Yuck, sleeping wet!! Got it about half done, need to go back up and finish it up the next day it isn't 140 in the shade)Heights are NOT my thing at all. And I am a white knuckle flyer too.

    Enjoy your family!! And if the little housekeeper is looking for more business, I have some floors that could use her magic touch...look how those floors gleam! She obviously knows what she is doing. I don't know about 2 year olds, but bribery especially with ice cream works well on me too :)

    Have a very Happy Independence Day!!

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    1. Me and heights, not a good combo.

      I'll pass along your request. ;)

      Delete
  10. We've been not-so-subtly coaxing Lush into posting for the better part of a year, if not more. She gets a pass though seeing how she's the boss's daughter I guess. Same annual bonus too. Never knew there was a such thing as blogger nepotism! I'll try to pick up a few extra shifts while you're grandfathering.

    Foo Fighters? Did I ever share this with you? Chuckie V vid: https://youtu.be/IQeC09p9MjA

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    1. Same annual bonus? Come on, she's taking the boss to a concert. Her bonus is YUGE! 🤣

      Love that song! Nice video too.

      Delete

Just be polite... that's all I ask. (For Buck)
Can't be nice, go somewhere else...

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